Reflections on Kenya’s national and security interests

Introduction: Recent events, especially those surrounding how Kenya projects itself in the region, have attracted attention that is not necessarily favourable. This calls for a reflection on what constitutes national as well as security interests and how to protect and advance them in the midst of potentially hostile environment. The assumption by other countries that they have the right to instruct Kenya on how it should conduct its affairs is understandable in the sense that it may be in the interests of those countries to do so. That, however, is not necessarily in Kenya’s interests and Kenyan officialdom should guard against falling into the trap of sacrificing national interests in order to please powerful external forces. To do this well, it is appropriate to take some concepts into account. The following are some reflections.